One small thing
by JJng
Summary: Even the slightest change can have huge repercussions.
1. Chapter 1

"You fool! When you drift with someone – or something, it's a two way connection! Information is exchanged both ways!"

Chau's face is wild, full of anger...and perhaps even fear?

Newt stares at him dumbly, mouth agape. If that was true...and what he had seen had been exchanged...

"Get me LOCCENT. Now."

Crimson Typhoon was about to reengage Otachi when suddenly a hasty broadcast came over the intercom.

"Typhoon, this is Newt. I don't have time to explain how or why this happened, but these monsters know everything about you, from your formations to every last specification. That means they have been designed to destroy you. Engage with extreme caution!"

"Acknowledged", Cheung said, and warily urged the mech back to the fray.

This turned out to be a lifesaver, as Otachi's tail came out of nowhere. Typhoon barely...barely throws itself back in time, but even so, it leaves a huge scratch across the Conn-Pod's visor.

Wei looks at it, feeling sick. If they had charged in... most likely the impact would have been fatal.

"LOCCENT, that thing has a pincer!"

"Reengage, prioritise cutting that thing off before it kills either of you!"

Otachi hisses, thrown from Cherno with an almighty effort. Its tail flashes down, but now Typhoon is ready, hacking it to pieces with its blades. As Otachi screames in pain Cherno takes the advantage and smashes into it, causing it to lose its balance. For a brief moment it seems like the Kaiju was doomed...until Leatherback leaps out of the water to grab Cherno in a deadly lock.

"Cherno Alpha requesting assistance- it's mashing our systems!" Sasha cries, even as she punches the thing ineffectually with one arm.

Leatherback growls and grabs one arm even as Otachi turns tail on Typhoon to attempt to rip the older Jaeger to pieces.

Then the repeating whine of a Plasmacaster knocks Leatherback down and away from Cherno.

"What would you do without us, eh?"

Clearly Pentecost had decided it was better to be safe than sorry in light of recent information.

Even so, Sasha groans. As if Chuck's head isn't big enough already...

Striker Eureka grabs Leatherback with his claws and fires off its missiles. The battered kaiju slinks back, and now Otachi is in the open. As Eureka continues its pursuit of Leatherback, Crimson neatly slices off various parts off Otachi, and then, with the kaiju left half blind and heavily injured, finishes it off with several blasts of its plasmacaster.

Leatherback takes a brief look back, then roars, firing off an electrical wave with a quick movement. Striker Eureka and Crimson Typhoon jerk back, systems screeching, then seem to slump, lights flickering off.

"LOCCENT, what was that?" Aleksis shouted.

"Seems like some sort of organic EMP. Typhoon and Eureka are out for the count...their digital systems are fried."

"Well, you can't beat old-school," Sasha grinned. "Let's get this bastard!"

Cherno smashes it's fists together tauntingly. Leatherback roars in response and launches itself towards it.

"Well, it's taken the bait. Time to spring it!"

Even as Leatherback attempts to knock the Jaeger over Cherno moves, ducking underneath the leap and grabbing it as it sails over him. Then, employing a familiar technique, he grabs it in a headlock and punches it repeatedly. The dazed Kaiju didn't even manage a roar, and with a quick movement Cherno lifts it easily into the air, and flings it back into the water.

Cherno finishes it with two giant fists slamming into its head from either side. There's a nasty crack as its skull implodes, and it ceases moving.

Choi's voice crackles over the intercom. "Both kaiju aren't registering any vital signs...nice one guys!"

Then Pentecost comes in. "Well done, all of you. But we need you to get back and repair Typhoon and Eureka...we'll need everything we have to throw against the Breach. Pentecost over and out."

**Author's note: Well, this fic sprung out of two things. One, I always wondered what would happen if the Jaegers had been aware that Otachi/Leatherback had been specifically designed to beat them. Secondly, and most importantly, I was incredibly annoyed that they introduced two incredibly awesome Jaegers, supposedly both the best of the best... and they lasted around a minute in battle. I do plan on making this a multi chapter fic, so please review as this is my first time writing!**

**-JJng-**

**08/10/14 *corrected some grammar changes, and fixed the tense so it doesn't randomly jump back and forth***


	2. Chapter 2

The Jaeger pilots seem to straggle in, one or two at a time, heads down. It doesn't feel like much of a victory, just a bitter reminder that it's only a matter of time. They lost sixteen Jaegers this year alone, and they will lose more.

Chuck Hansen casts a contemptuous look at Raleigh and Mako.

"So, how did it feel sitting safe at base while we risked our lives?"

Raleigh says nothing, but his hands clench. Mako stays still, her features impassive.

Chuck continues, his dark eyes staring, mocking.

"As I said before, it's poor pilots that lose the Jaeger, not the mech. If you hadn't been so stupidly arrogant, you'd have beaten Knifehead. Your brother would be sitting next to you now, not this feeble replacement who can't last a minute Drifting before chasing the RAB-"

Chuck falls back, his eye already beginning to blacken. Raleigh doesn't waste another moment, grabbing him by the scruff of his jacket even as the triplets rush to pull them apart.

In the end it takes Aleksis to separate the two, wrenching them away from one another with a powerful movement.

Pentecost watches it all, and turns to Tendo.

"Get me Mako and Raleigh. We need to end this once and for all."

Two hours later, Mako and Raleigh are back inside Gipsy Danger, trying to Drift. Again.

However, each Handshake is weak, dropping almost instantaneously. The huge mech's hands stay stubbornly at their sides, refusing to move. Pentecost casts a weary eye over the set of banks, showing failure after failure, when -

"Sir! It's showing signs of holding!"

Mako feels everything. The day Raleigh and his brother successfully passed the Jaeger academy, the building of Gipsy...

...The day Raleigh's brother died.

"we got this." The Plasmacaster going off, Raleigh turning casually away from the broken Kaiju. Then it's reappearance. He shouts "Raleigh, you've got to listen to me-"

Gone. Pain. Anger. Above all, an overriding sense of guilt. Guilt that he couldn't save his brother. Guilt about his arrogance. She begins to understand.

In return, Raleigh feels Mako's sense of insecurity. Her fear. Her past. And he accepts this too.

The two begin to meld. Gipsy raises first her left hand, and then her right. Then in unison, her (his?) hands slam together. But it's not perfect. He can still feel her fear, and she can still feel his guilt, pulsing between them. They're not one. It's him, and her, and the Jaeger. And while the Jaeger may respond, it's (not she) attuned to them.

Not like how it was before.

**A/N: The fact Mako and Raleigh never saved the Hansens is going to be crucial. Just saying.**

**On the other hand, thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/favourited/viewed, you're all amazing people. Please review especially, as I would love to hear how my work needs improvement. Oh yeah, and praise is nice too :)**

**-JJng-**


End file.
